El Al Petitions High Court

El Al petitioned the High Court of Justice against Air India’s new route through Saudi airspace which enables it to get to India hours faster. This contravened a government pledge to encourage fair competition between Israeli airlines and foreign competitors, El Al said.

“The permit granted by Saudi Arabia to Air India could become a precedent for additional permits for other foreign airlines to fly over the Saudi Arabia, in routes that are significantly shorter compared to Israeli airlines,” El Al told Yisrael Hayom.

El Al added that Air India’s favored status contradicts the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation which only allows barring flights over certain routes if the restrictions do not discriminate between nations.